JPML Takes One for the Team

St. Louis in November, November 30 to be precise, for the next JMPL hearing.  Ouch.  Still, I guess the food on the Hill will be just as tasty even in November, but I’d probably have aimed for, say, Pasadena for November and waited until May for St. Louis.

Anyway, potentially interesting MDLs from the hearing order [MDL]:

• Stand ‘n’ Seal products liability litigation.  This is an interesting case, at a glance; it was recalled because, so far as I can tell, it wasn’t stinky enough: “The product’s odor is not chemically pungent enough to force consumers to minimize their exposure to the fumes.”  At least one plaintiffs’ firm asserts that the product’s composition is itself problematic, aside from the stinkiness factor.
• Marvel-Schebler Float Carburetor products liability litigation.  Not sure what this is.
• In re LLRice 601 Contamination litigation.  This relates to genetically-modified rice from Bayer CropScience allegedly making its way into the food supply stream.  (Note: I advise a different Bayer company in tort litigation.)  One firm’s explanation is here.

That’s it for oral argument matters.